Belvilla by OYO Sul Mare Bilo

Rossetta, who looks after the apartments, went far out of her way to help when I had a car accident and spent two days in hospital. She helped arrange a tow truck and a Carabinieri, and tried to find out where my vehicle was. I’ll always be grateful to her. Compared with that, things like the location, cleanliness, and services don’t matter. I’m sure I’ll come back to Sardinia to enjoy what I missed this past week, and I’m absolutely certain I’ll return to Residenzia sul Mare. Thank you, Rossetta.

It was a complete mess when we arrived for our week in a two-bedroom apartment. There was no sofa, only a single bed, and the spiral staircase felt fit only for climbers. The bathroom had neither a mirror nor a shower screen. I’ve been trying to reach them since Wednesday; the only reply was a request to send the booking confirmation. Nothing came of my later attempts to contact them. I’d give zero stars if I could.

The price is very affordable, and the location is the best thing about the apartment: it’s quiet and close to a great beach. The apartment itself isn’t bad, with a cute little balcony and lovely views. By the way, the building sign says Residenza Agnese, not R. sul mare. The problems are in almost every detail. Sheets and towels cost extra, and the kitchen had no scouring pad, dish soap, mop, or even basics like salt and oil. A kettle was provided, but there was nowhere to plug it in. The hallway tiles were loose, the toilet was so loud the whole neighborhood could hear it, the blinds badly needed maintenance, and the sofa was missing an arm and blocked the wardrobe. Cleanliness was poor too: dust and pigeon droppings covered the balcony rail, cigarette butts littered the patio, and the pool water was turning green. In my view, the place badly needs a full renovation. Staff were a mixed bag, from the woman who checked us in, who could use customer service training, to others who were polite and pleasant. At least the low price is hard to complain about.

It’s cheap, and if you’re only going to use the apartment to sleep, it works well. That’s what we did. The place is very old and has only the basics, so don’t expect anything fancy or luxurious. It’s a good fit if you want to keep costs down and won’t spend much time there. The beaches are a bit far away, though Sardinia is huge and distances are long in general.